Eye on Rezko

They've came in this morning at 9:15 a.m. and are supposed to deliberate until 4 p.m.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jurors in the Tony Rezko trial have left for the day. They left early due to a family situation related to one juror. They will return 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Jurors sent a note to Judge Amy St. Eve this morning indicating they will leave at noon today due to a family emergency.

The court hearing this morning also disclosed the jury yesterday requested a day off May 30 -- next Friday -- if they are still deliberating.

The jury already has a scheduled day off this Friday.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

The jurors in Tony Rezko's trial adjourned for the day. They're back in 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Given the extensive testimony by Stuart Levine in the Tony Rezko trial, I thought readers might be amused by this 2004 resolution passed by the Teachers' Retirement Systems Board. Levine once sat on the board -- the same board Levine himself said he used to cut millions of dollars in illicit, backroom deals. Levine resigned from the board after a visit by the FBI in the spring of 2004.
The board unwittingly gave him quite a nice send-off -- it happened before Levine was exposed as a schemer who was out to pocket bribes tied to deals he oversaw as a board member.

-- A post script: It has been pointed out that I should note: it was the board's practice to issue these resolutions every time a member left the board. Obviously, the board didn't know about Levine's crimes at the time it issued this.

AUGUST 10, 2004

On a motion by James Bruner, seconded by Phillip Schmidt, it was resolved:

WHEREAS, Stuart P. Levine served as a trustee of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois from September 2000 until July 2004; and

WHEREAS, Stuart distinguished himself by his grace, self-deprecating humor, reasoned opinions, and civil debate; and

WHEREAS, he is a devoted husband and father, who helped his son Bennett and daughter Kate with homework assignments and teenage challenges by phone even while attending out-of-town TRS Board meetings; and

WHEREAS, Stuart is known for his sharing of time, talent, and, treasure through philanthropic endeavors that have earned him international recognition; and

WHEREAS, Stuart demonstrated a deep and personal respect for the teaching profession, having worked as a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools while attending law school; and

WHEREAS, he was a founder of HMO America, a firm that grew to become the largest health maintenance organization in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, his service as a member of the Board and as chairman of the Rules and Personnel Committee is valued and deeply appreciated; therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois that we extend our best wishes and appreciation to our friend and colleague and offer our sincere appreciation for his service as a member of this board. Given this 10th day of August 2004.

The motion passed by a unanimous voice vote.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

After a weekend break, Tony Rezko jurors are spending their third day behind doors deliberating.

In the meantime, there's news concerning a co-schemer whose name repeatedly surfaced at Rezko's trial -- William Cellini.

Cellini, whose firm Commonwealth manages $1 billion in assets with the state, hasn't been charged with wrongdoing. But he's under scrutiny by State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias accused Cellini and his partners of diverting as much as $2 million from the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield after he won a sweet-heart state loan to fund the hotel.
Time and again during the two-month, Cellini's voice was heard on tape working out deals with prosecution witness Stuart Levine.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tony Rezko's jurors have left for the day.

They're expected to return Monday.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bloomington Pantagraph reports that one month before Tony Rezko's trial started a note went out to senior aides in Gov. Blagojevich's administration telling them to preserve evidence tied to certain people. They include Chris Kelly, William Cellini, Robert Kjellander, David Wilhelm and Rezko, among others.
The Pantagraph quotes an office memo sent out to senior aides to Gov. Blagojevich as stating:
“If you find any documents or information relating to these individuals, you must notify the Office of the General Counsel in accordance with the directions set out below,” wrote William Quinlan, the governor’s senior legal adviser.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

No, jurors in the Tony Rezko trial couldn't bring back transcripts with them into the jury room.

But besides their notes and "collective recollection" jurors have a specific set of guidelines the judge ordered them to follow.

Here they are: jury instructions

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jurors are all back this morning to continue deliberations.

They're expected to work until 1 p.m.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The jurors in Tony Rezko's trial have gone home for the day, following their full first day of deliberations.

They return tomorrow for a half-day of closed-door talks.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 12 jurors in Tony Rezko's trial just sent a note to Judge Amy St. Eve asking if she could give them a transcript of testimony from witness Michael Winter. Winter's testimony is relevant to the first count in the indictment -- though it is a lengthy count involving a complex scheme.

Continue reading "Rezko trial: First jury question" »

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

After two years, the real Tony Rezko indictment -- without all the cloak and dagger of "Individual I" or "Firm A" references -- is made public.

In a pretty unusual move, prosecutors kept secret the individuals represented in the indictment right up through Rezko's corruption trial.

All of the allegations came out in court, so this isn't anything new. But this is the first time prosecutors put it in black and white for all the public to see. The Sun-Times before the trial did its own ABCs of the government proffer, because that too was written in code.

Here's the real indictment:
Rezko indictment

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The jury is all here this morning to start its first full day of deliberations.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tony Rezko was smart enough not to do business on the phone, several people testified at his trial.
Still, prosecutors found some interesting connections after examining his phone records.

Who called Rezko the most? Who did Rezko call most often? Read more in today's Watchdogs

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Niewoehner hit Tony Rezko hard in the closing moments of Rezko's corruption trial, telling jurors Rezko was part of a "corrupt ring of insiders."
Read today's summary: Feds hit back as case goes to jury

There's no trial today because a juror had a previous conflict. Tomorrow, jurors meet for their first full day of deliberations.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The 12 jurors making up the permanent panel to deliberate in Tony Rezko's trial include 10 women and just two men. There's also six whites and six blacks on the jury.

Three men were dismissed today, including two city workers and one state worker.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After sitting in trial for nearly 40 days, four jurors were told they would not be able to deliberate.
The three men and one woman were "randomly" chosen as alternates, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve told them and today went home instead of back to the deliberation room with the 12 chosen jurors.
One of the men, who in jury selection said he worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation, looked flushed and shook his head as St. Eve said she knew they were disappointed.

One of the four dismissed was a man I've previously written about who consistently nodded off, including during closing arguments and jury instructions.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The 12 final jurors today chose a foreperson and went home for the day.

Wednesday is an already scheduled day off, so they return Thursday for their first full day of deliberation.

Jurors told the judge in a note today that they will keep their regular schedule of 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every other Friday to 1 p.m.

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The prosecution’s rebuttal just wrapped up, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Niewoehner telling jurors that Rezko’s defense lawyer, Joseph Duffy, tried to divert their attention by focusing to heavily on star prosecution witness Stuart Levine.

“No matter how much Mr. Duffy wants to make this trial about the secret life of Stuart Levine, that’s not what this trial is about,” he said. “There’s somebody else who’s being exposed – it’s the defendant [Rezko’s] secret life.”

Continue reading "Prosecution fires back" »

Posted by Natasha Korecki at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)